Outlet for baseboard raceways



April 22, 19,30. P. H. LAcEY 1,755,545

OUTLET FR BASEBOARD RACEWAYS Filed July 28, 1928 Patented Apr. 22, 1930UNITED STATES :PAUL H. LACEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS OUTLET non BAsnBoARDmicnwiivs` Application filed July 28,

This invention relates to outlets for base board raceways, and itsprincipal objectis to provide simple means whereby electric conductorcord extensions may be run from the raceway of base board constructionsto any desirable place within the room. In modern buildings a raceway isprovided behind the base board for the reception of electric con ductorcords, but so far as I am aware, no

outlet devices have been provided for the passage of conductor cordsfrom the raceway to the interior of the room. Usually the plaster ischipped away, or the base boardis cut away, or some other make-shiftoutlet has been provided at theplace or places where it was necessary torun a conductor cord eX- tension from the raceway to the interior of theroom.

In accordance with the present invention,

the base board is provided at a plurality of Figure 1 is a perspectiveview, partly in section, of a fragment of a. wall and base boardconstruction, and showing one of the outlet devices applied thereto; f

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a fragment of the'parts seen in Fig. 1with the base board removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical crossA section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; f

Fig. 4 isa fragmental vertical longitudinal section taken on the linelr- 4 of Fig.` 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the outlet devices; and 'i Fig. 6is a perspective view of another form of the outlet device. Referring tosaid drawing, the reference character designates a fragment of a wall or partition of a room', 6 designatesthe floor, y

7 and 8 de signatethe upper and lower ground strips which are secured tothe wall in anyl 1928. Serial No. 295,873.

suitable manner, and 9 designates the base board which is usuallysecured to the upper ground strip by screws or thev like 10, with itslower edge removably held in a shoe 11. The plaster 12 extends up fromthe upper ground strip 7 and its surface is made flushfwithfthe fiontface thereof.

Between the wall 5, base board 9 and upper and lower ground strips 7 and8 is a raceway 13 for the reception of electric conductor cords 14,which conductor cords may be lead through said raceway around the room,or from room to room thrugh the partition. A base board construction ofthe character described and containing a novel. incorner construction ismore fullyshown and described in my Patent No. 1,652,282, dated December13, 1927, for improvements inincorner retainer strips, and the outletforming the subject matter of this specification is designed for use inconnection with'the type of base board construction disclosed in saidinvention, but obviously it may be employed in connection with otherforms embodying a raceway for conductor cords.

-The outlet device 15-is preferably formed of a piece of sheet metalstruck up with suitable dies to give tthe'form illustrated particularlyin Fig. 5. As shown, the outlet device 15 comprisesspaced tongues 16 and17 connected by a hood-like portion 18, the tongue 16 being formed withone or more knockout pieces 19 located in that portion of the tongue 16which forms the front of the hood 18. The hood portion has a top wall 20and end walls 21 which extend between the sideedges of thetongues. Thisconstruction provides an open space between the tongues 16 and 17 and apassage through the hood and out through the knockout opening designated9 by 19?. The outlet device is substantially of the saine width as theupper ground strip 7 and the tongues 16 and 17 vmay:convergeslightlytowards eachother from top to bottom, so that'they willgrip theground strip between them when placed thereon, as seen inFig.3. A v vjAt the places where the outlets are provided forthe raceway, (and theremay be three or -four such places along4 the base board of a ion room,or as many as desired, the upper ground strip 7 is Jformed with verticalgrooves or channels 22 in its front face, and the outlet devices l5 areplaced upon the upper ground yiti-ip at places over the grooves utterthe ground strip has been secured in place on the wall ot' the building,but before the room plastered. The tongues 16 and 17 frictionally holdthe outlet device upon the ground strip, but if it is desired to morepermanently secure it thereto, the tongue 16: may be provided withperforations 23 through which small tacks or brads 2st may be driveninto-the ground strip.

After the outlet devices havebeensecured in place, the Walls areplastered as usual, the plastering extending over the hood 18 andenclosing thesame. When the room is trimmed, they base board is: securedin place as usual, and the conductor cords for telephones, signaling;apparatus and other electrical devices may be placed in the racewaybehindthe base board. l/Yishing to extend one of the conductorcords fromany of the outlet devices, the base board is temporarily removed and theknockout piece 19 broken away to leave the outlet opening 19a afterwhich a conductor cord may be passed from the raceway and up through thegroove or channel 22 into the interior of the hood 18' and ou-t throughthe outlet opening- 19a from which it may be extended to am7 desiredplace inthe room. The base board is then replaced'.

It will be observed that the tonguel 1G substantially covers the grooveor channel 2Q in the upper ground strip, thereby providing a' conduit orclosed channel through which the conductor cord may pass froml theraceway out through the outlet device. The cord is 1 thereby protectedagainst injury when the base board isv replaced. y

In the form of the inventionillustrated in Fig, 64 the front flangebelow the hood' portion V18,a is omitted and? the lower end Walls 21 ofthe hood port-ion are bent laterally to form flanges 16 adapted to reston the top of the ground strip. Nail holes 23n may be pro. vided in theflanges 16?l through which. tacks or brads may be driven into the groundstrip tosecure the outlet device thereto.` Otherwise the deviceisidentical withvv the other form above described. The advantage of theform illustrated-in Fig, 6 isl that no part of the device intervenesbetween the base board" and ground strip.l In each case the flange. 17or 17- which is forced between the ground strip.- andv wall. acts tosecure the out-let device in It will be observed that with the use ofthel -present outlet device, the plastering of thev the length of thebase board, which devices are concealed by the surface finish of thewall, and any of which may be brought into use whenever desired, withoutmarring the finish of the wall in'any manner.

While I have shown and described the outlet in connection with a baseboard construction, it is obvious that it can be used in connection withother trim of a room, as, for instance, the chair rail or picturemolding. I do not, therefore, desire to limit the use of the invent-iont-o abase board except as particularly specified in the appended claims.

More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possiblewithout departing from the spirit of this invention. I desire,therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the constructionshown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point outall of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, Letters Patent:

1. An. outlet for base board raceways comprising in combination a groundstrip having a transversely extending groove, andI an outlet memberformed with a hood-like portion overlying an end of the groove in theground strip, said hood-like portion having sideand end walls andportions extending from certain of its walls and extending parallel withfaces of said ground strip and securedv thereto, there being an outletopening in one side wall of said hood-like portion.

2. An outlet for base board raceways comprising in combination a groundstrip having a transversely extending groove, and an outlet memberformed with a hood-like portion overlying an end ofthe groove in t-heground strip, said hood-like portion being formed with spaced side wallsin the form of two tongues adapted to Yfrictionally secure the outletmember upon the ground strip, and there being an outlet opening in oneof said side walls.

3. An outlet for raceways comprising a hood-like member open at thebottom and having a top wall, end Walls and at least one side wall, thelatter terminating in the form of a tongue which extends below the endwalls, and there being an outlet opening in a side wall leading from thecavity in the hood portion.

4. An outlet for base board raceways comprising a hood-like member openat, the bot tom and having a top wal1,end Walls and two side walls, saidside walls terminating inthe form of tongues that project below the endwalls and converge towardy each other, one of said, side walls beingformed with an outlet opening (zo-incident with the cavity in the hood.

5. An outlet for base board raceways cornand desire to secure by prisinga hood-like portion having a top Wall,

end walls and two side walls, the latter bef ing in the form of tongueswhichl project down from said top Wall to a point below the end Walls,and one of said tongues being formed with nail holes therein, therebeing an outlet opening in one of said side Walls leading from thecavity inv the hood.

6. An outlet for ra-Ceways comprising a hood-like portion formed with atop Wall, end Walls and side Walls, at least one of said Walls beingformed with extensions having nail holesv therein, and one of said sideWalls being formed with a knockout place co-incident with the cavity inthe hood.)

7. An outlet for raceways Comprising a hood-like portion open at thebottom and having a top Wall, end Walls and side Walls, one of said sideWalls being formed With a knockout place (so-incident with the cavity inthe hood, and at least one of said Walls being formed with an extensionin the form of a tongue provided With nail holes.

Y PAUL H. LACEY.

